Our phone bill is now $5 a month.

That's right, $5.
Background: We have been happy primus customers for years (see previous complementary post), paying ~$25 a month for VOIP service and 300 minutes North American long distance. We rarely go over 300 minutes, and when we did it was $0.05 a minute.
However, Primus' rates started to creep up, and other options came on the scene.
Enter voip.ms. You need to buy your own VOIP hardware, but once you do, it's $0.99 a month for your number, $1.50 for e911 service, $0.01 per minute to the US, $0.005 per minute to Canada, voicemail, call display, etc. etc. etc. all included.
Our bill for our first month? $4.90 for 9 hrs of talk time/long distance, and $2.49 for the number and e911, $7.39 total including tax. Shan's mom was here for a week, which at least doubled the talk time (we don't talk on the phone much), so I expect our average bill will be $5.
FIVE DOLLARS!
2 caveats:
- Porting your number over costs $25. If you are OK with a new number, FREE!
- Hardware costs ~$54 (Cisco PAP2 ATA or similar)
- Primus gouged me for $35 on the way out. Duds.
If you're at all tech savvy, and have dry DSL or cable internet, don't walk, RUN and start saving yourself over $20 a month!
Sincerely,
Unsolicited Product Endorser